Malaysia recalls ambassador to North Korea

Police officers guard the main gate of forensic department at Kuala Lumpur Hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Sunday, Feb. 19, 2017. Investigators are looking for four North Korean men who flew out of Malaysia the same day Kim Jong Nam, the North Korean ruler's outcast half brother, apparently was poisoned at an airport in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian police said Sunday. (AP Photo/Daniel Chan)

Deputy National Police Chief of Malaysia Noor Rashid Ibrahim, left, speaks as Selangor Police Chief Abdul Samah Mat listens during a press conference at the Bukit Aman national police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2017. Investigators are looking for four North Korean men who flew out of Malaysia the same day Kim Jong Nam, the North Korean ruler's outcast half brother, was apparently poisoned at an airport in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian police said Sunday. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Malaysia Deputy Inspector-General of Police Noor Rashid Ibrahim speaks during a press conference at the Bukit Aman national police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2017. Malaysia's police are looking for four more North Korean suspects who they say left the country the same day the North Korean leader's brother died after being attacked at the Kuala Lumpur airport. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Information about one of the suspects North Korean Hong Song Hac, is displayed during a press conference by Malaysia Deputy National Police Chief Noor Rashid Ibrahim, not show, at the Bukit Aman national police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2017. Malaysia's police are looking for four more North Korean suspects who they say left the country the same day the North Korean leader's brother died after being attacked at the Kuala Lumpur airport. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Information about one of the suspects North Korean Ri Jae Nam, is displayed during a press conference by Malaysia Deputy National Police Chief Noor Rashid Ibrahim, not show, at the Bukit Aman national police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2017. Malaysia's police are looking for four more North Korean suspects who they say left the country the same day the North Korean leader's brother died after being attacked at the Kuala Lumpur airport. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Information about one of the suspects North Korean O Jong Gil, is displayed during a press conference by Malaysia Deputy National Police Chief Noor Rashid Ibrahim, not show, at the Bukit Aman national police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2017. Malaysia's police are looking for four more North Korean suspects who they say left the country the same day the North Korean leader's brother died after being attacked at the Kuala Lumpur airport. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Information about one of the suspects North Korean Ri Ji U, is displayed during a press conference by Malaysia Deputy National Police Chief Noor Rashid Ibrahim, at the Bukit Aman national police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2017. Malaysia's police are looking for four more North Korean suspects who they say left the country the same day the North Korean leader's brother died after being attacked at the Kuala Lumpur airport. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Malaysia Deputy Inspector-General of Police Noor Rashid Ibrahim, left, shows a picture of one of the suspects during a press conference at police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2017. Investigators are still trying to piece together details of what appears to be the brazen assassination of Kim Jong Nam, the half brother of North Korea's mercurial ruler and an exiled member of the country's elite. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Malaysia Deputy Inspector-General of Police Noor Rashid Ibrahim, center left, shows a picture of one of the suspects during a press conference at police headquarter in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2017. Investigators are still trying to piece together details of what appears to be the brazen assassination of Kim Jong Nam, the half brother of North Korea's mercurial ruler and an exiled member of the country's elite. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

The minimart owner arranges newspapers at his shop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Sunday, Feb. 19, 2017. Investigators are still trying to piece together details of what appears to be the brazen assassination of Kim Jong Nam, the half brother of North Korea's mercurial ruler and an exiled member of the country's elite, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Monday. Malaysian police said Saturday that they had arrested a fourth suspect, a 46-year-old North Korean man. (AP Photo/Daniel Chan)

A police officer patrols outside forensic department at Kuala Lumpur Hospital in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Sunday, Feb. 19, 2017. Investigators are looking for four North Korean men who flew out of Malaysia the same day Kim Jong Nam, the North Korean ruler's outcast half brother, apparently was poisoned at an airport in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysian police said Sunday. (AP Photo/Daniel Chan)

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysia's ambassador to North Korea has been recalled from Pyongyang amid rising tensions between the countries over the death in Kuala Lumpur of an estranged scion of North Korea's ruling family.

The Malaysian foreign ministry said in a Monday statement that it had recalled its ambassador "for consultations" and had summoned Kang Chol, North Korea's ambassador to Kuala Lumpur, "to seek an explanation on the accusations he made against the Government of Malaysia."

Kang said Malaysia may be "trying to conceal something" and that the autopsy on Kim Jong Nam was carried out "unilaterally and excluding our attendance." Kim Jong Nam is the half brother of North Korean ruler Kim Jong Un.

The statement called Kang's comments "baseless," adding it "takes very seriously any unfounded attempt to tarnish its reputation."